Petunia hybrida 
xe2x80x98Kakegawa S28xe2x80x99
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia, botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Kakegawa S28xe2x80x99. The development of xe2x80x98Kakegawa S28xe2x80x99 began with the selection of its male parent. Petunia breeding line Pg-9a-2a was crossed with breeding line 2H-1 in 1994. One F2 plant from this cross was selected and then crossed to xe2x80x98Surfina Violetxe2x80x99. This hybrid was self pollinated and selected to the F4 level to produce breeding line 5BC-15A-1A-2. In 1996 this line was hybridized with Kakegawa S28""s female parent, a blue-flowered petunia of dwarf habit, known as breeding line 3B-80A-1b-1a. These breeding lines are unnamed and unpatented proprietary lines. In 1997 plants from this cross were grown and observed to be segregating for habit and flower characteristics. This breeding work was performed in Kakegawa, Japan.
Two hundred F1 plants from the 1996 cross were transplanted to a field in Salinas, Calif. during the summer of 1998. Seven lines were selected and vegetatively propagated for further evaluation. The seven lines were propagated again in 1999, and evaluated for fixed characteristics and ease of propagation. Final selection of one line was made during the summer of 1999. The line was established as xe2x80x98Kakegawa S28xe2x80x99, and determined to have its characteristics firmly fixed.
The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks. The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of Dip ""n Grow(copyright) (1 solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately prior to sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were formed.
xe2x80x98Kakegawa S28xe2x80x99 has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics after two years and four cycles of vegetative propagation and this novelty is firmly fixed. The variety has demonstrated stability during this time and has no inherent variation or off-types.